Qingming Festival

April 4, 2025 marks the Qingming Festival, one of China's most important traditional festivals. The Qingming Festival has a history of more than 2,500 years. Qingming Festival is not only a day for ancestor worship and tomb-sweeping, but also a good time for people to get close to the nature and have fun.

Origin of Qingming Festival

The Qingming Festival originated from the Cold Food Festival in ancient China, which is said to be related to Jie Zi Pui, a loyal minister during the Spring and Autumn Period. Jie Zi push to save the Duke of Jin Wen cut his flesh to offer food, and then hid in the mountains, the Duke of Jin Wen in his honor ordered to ban fire and cold food on the anniversary of his death, which gradually evolved into the Cold Food Festival. Later, the Cold Food Festival was merged with the Qingming Festival to become an important festival for ancestor worship and remembering ancestors.

The Qingming Festival is also related to “Qingming”, one of the twenty-four solar terms, which marks the arrival of spring, the rise of temperature and the revival of all things, and is an important point in the farming culture.

Customs of Qingming Festival

1.Sweeping graves and paying homage to ancestors

The core custom of the Qingming Festival is to sweep tombs and pay homage to ancestors. People go to the graves of their ancestors, clean up the weeds, offer flowers, food and paper money, and express their nostalgia and respect for their ancestors. This tradition embodies the Chinese cultural concept of “being cautious of the end of life and pursuing the distant future”.

2.Outing

The Qingming Festival coincides with the blossoming of spring flowers, and many people go out to enjoy the beauty of nature and relax their minds and bodies. This custom is known as “Treading Green” and symbolizes renewal and hope.

3.Kite Flying

Kite flying is one of the traditional activities of the Qingming Festival. It is believed that flying kites can take away bad luck and bring good fortune.

4.Eating Green Dumplings

Green dumplings are a traditional food for the Qingming Festival, made of glutinous rice and mugwort and filled with bean paste or sesame seeds, symbolizing the vitality of spring.

Don't forget the history, remember the mission and live up to the future

On this day, many schools in China organize visits to the memorial gardens of revolutionary martyrs to carry out activities to remember the heroes who sacrificed their lives for the independence of the country and the happiness of the people. The activity of visiting the mausoleums of revolutionary martyrs combines the traditional customs of Qingming Festival with modern patriotic education. It not only let students feel the cultural connotation of Qingming Festival, but also let them deeply understand the spirit of sacrifice of revolutionary martyrs and enhance their sense of social responsibility and historical mission.